Arkansas prep players do not have a strong history of reaching the big leagues. Markevian Hence will try to be the first in that category since Travis Wood in 2005. The last player drafted Watson Chapel High in Pine Bluff, Arkansas is Gionti Turner. The Cleveland Indians selected Turner in the 27th round of the 2018 Draft.
Hence is a 6’1″, 175-pound right-handed pitcher from Pine Bluff, AR. He is listed as the 84th-best prospect on MLB’s big board. Hence is one of the youngest players in the draft pool at 17-years-old; he will not turn 18 until August. He is committed to Arkansas if he is drafted but doesn’t sign with a team.
Strengths
Hence has a lot of tools that MLB teams are going to love. There is some difference as to what pitches he throws depending on where you look. MLB.com lists a fastball, slider and changeup as his offerings but Keith Law of the Athletic describes Hence as a four-pitch guy with a fastball, slider, changeup and curveball.
Both sites love his fastball, MLB.com grades it as a 60/80 that sites in the low-90s but occasionally touches 95-96 MPH. His slider also has above-average potential, typically coming in between 76-81 MPH. Law loves his curveball and both reports give his changeup solid marks if it develops.
Hence’s status as one of the draft class’s youngest pitchers is great for teams that value youth in their draftees. It gives them more time to develop the prospect the way they want to and lets the player mature while he goes through the minor league system. It would also expose Hence to his team’s development system for much longer compared to his college peers.
Weaknesses
However, Hence’s age and lack of senior season could count against him for some teams. There is more risk of injury in a high school pitcher and teams are increasingly aware of that fact. This year’s draft only has five rounds so it could be harder for teams to justify taking Hence’s risk when there is less room for error.
Hence is also not the biggest pitcher. His frame has a lot of room to grow but he won’t ever have the leverage that comes from being a taller pitcher. He makes up for it with a repeatable, athletic delivery but he needs more velocity and a true fourth pitch as a right-handed thrower. Hence might benefit from a few seasons at Arkansas where he can get stronger and add experience against top SEC competition.
MLB Comp
Hence has plenty of time to fill out physically so a current MLB comp won’t necessarily be accurate after a few seasons. However, Kenta Maeda is a pitcher with a similar build who has had a solid career with the Los Angeles Dodgers before getting traded to the Minnesota Twins.
The 6’1″, 184-pound pitcher threw a fastball, slider, and changeup as his primary pitches in 2019. He also threw a curveball and changeup but those were used less frequently. The fastball averaged just over 92 MPH which is roughly where Hence is at right now. Maeda’s slider was also very good at around 83.5 mph. That is very possible for someone with Hence’s potential.
Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images
